Mumbai, Jan 30 (PTI) In a big relief to people and small businesses, RBI on Monday announced lifting of restrictions on daily withdrawal of money from ATMs and from current accounts but the weekly limit of Rs 24,000 on savings bank accounts will continue.

The Reserve Bank also promised to review the weekly limit in the near future depending on the pace of remonetisation.

“On a review of the pace of remonetisation, it has been decided to partially restore status quo ante,” RBI said adding, cash withdrawal limit from ATMs stands withdrawn from February 1, 2017.

Banks, however, have been asked to fix their own limits, as has been the case before November 8, 2016, the day government scrapped high denomination currency notes of Rs 500 and 1,000.

RBI has also removed all limits on cash withdrawals from current accounts/ cash credit accounts/ overdraft accounts with immediate effect.

“The limits on Savings Bank accounts will continue for the present and are under consideration for withdrawal in the near future,” it said.

It further said that banks have been “urged to encourage their constituents to sustain the movement towards digitisation of payments and switching over of payments from cash mode to non-cash mode.”

Government and RBI had imposed limits on withdrawal of money from ATMs and bank branches in view of currency shortage following demonetisation.

These limits, however, were gradually eased with RBI pumping in new notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2000.

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) The Supreme Court today directed the Centre to issue a fresh notification within a week on appointment of Karnal Singh as director of Enforcement Directorate (ED) for two years in consonance with provision of the CVC Act.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice N V Ramana gave the direction after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said that an order was issued on October 27 last year appointing IPS officer Karnal Singh as director of ED.

The bench said that the fresh order would make it clear that Singh’s appointment as ED director would be for two years from October 27 last year.

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Voicing displeasure over the alliance between Samajwadi Party and Congress, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav today said he would not campaign for it in the state assembly polls.

“I am completely against the alliance. I will not campaign for it,” Mulayam said on a day his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi held their first joint press conference in Lucknow and held a road show displaying great bonhomie.

Mulayam, who had rejected the possibility of an alliance for the assembly polls before being deposed as party president by Akhilesh, said, “Congress ruled the country for a long time and made it laggard. We always fought against Congress.”

“Samajwadi Party is capable of contesting elections alone. In the past, it fought alone and formed government with a majority. No occasion arose for effecting an alliance,” he said.

After the Election Commission settled the dispute between Mulayam and Akhilesh in the latter’s favour, the SP patriarch had submitted a list of 38 candidates to his son but chosen not to field nominees separately.

Kotkapura (Punjab), Jan 29 (PTI) Pakistan is eagerly waiting for a chance to use the soil of Punjab to destroy India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, warning the electorate against voting a “non-serious” party and “those given to luxurious lifestyle” to power.

Launching an assault on AAP, which has emerged as a key contender to power in the state, Modi branded it as an “outsider” that was “dreaming of creating its own world” at the cost of Punjab.

Holding that the fate of Punjab was linked to that of the nation, he warned that the people of the state as also the country will have to face a “crisis” in case a “government of outsiders and those given to luxurious lifestyle” is voted to power, in an apparent dig at both AAP and Congress.

“When you elect the government you decide not only the fate of Punjab, but that of the country. The fate of the two is linked.

“This is a border state and Pakistan is eagerly awaiting a chance to use the land of Punjab to destroy India. If a non-serious (dheeli-dhaali) government comes, government of outsiders is formed and government of those who lead luxurious lifestyle comes, then it is not that only the people of Punjab who will suffer, but the entire nation will have to face a crisis,” he told an election rally here in the heart of Malwa region.

“In this election, to destroy Punjab, it (AAP) is eager to create its own world at the cost of the state. Those who are having such dreams should be sent back to Delhi from where they have come,” he said, apparently hitting out at the new entrant AAP, which is contesting the state Assembly elections in the state for the first time.

He also asked the people to first question AAP as to what promises it honoured in Delhi.

“Ask it to first fulfil its responsibility of that place (where the party has its government). Fulfil the promises made to the people of Delhi,” the Prime Minister said.

Batting for a third consecutive term for SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab, Modi asserted that the state needed a government which could guarantee safety of the nation.

Lucknow, Jan 28 (PTI) With the catchline ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will set out for a joint campaign here tomorrow for the high stakes Assembly elections in the state.

The two leaders, who will come together for the first time after Congress and SP reached a pre-poll alliance with an aim to bag over 300 of the 403 Assembly seats up for grabs, will set the tone for the electioneering with a press conference and a road show.

“The two leaders will address a joint press conference in Lucknow tomorrow afternoon to give a clear message not just to their respective party cadres but also the people of the state of a united effort of the two parties to defeat communal parties,” a senior SP leader told PTI today.

A joint poster with the slogan ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’ having the pictures of both Rahul and Akhilesh and their respective party symbols will also be released on the occasion.

The ‘tricolour’ and ‘red and green’ colours of both the parties will form the border of the posters.

After the press interaction, the two leaders will hold a joint road show across the densely populated areas of the state capital, he said, adding that the road show will start from Gandhi Statue in the Hazratganj area.

The route of the road show has been decided so that it also covers the Muslim-dominated areas besides the areas which have concentration of the youth population.

The two top leaders were previously expected to make a joint announcement about the alliance on January 22, but later the two state chiefs Raj Babbar (Congress) and Naresh Uttam (SP) announced the deal jointly.

Insiders said that joint rallies were also being planned by the two parties at a later stage.

They said the joint press conference would remove any confusion in the minds of voters on the tie-up between the two parties. .

New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) Stressing on unity as the cornerstone of India’s strength, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said life of a NCC cadet is beyond the uniform, the parade and the camps as it provides a sense of mission.

The NCC experience offers a glimpse of India, its strength and its diversity, he said addressing the NCC rally here.

The world wonders how Indians are bound by unity despite so many regions, over 100 languages, 1,500 dialects, and different customs and food habits among others, Modi said.

“It is our country’s strength,” he said.

Modi underlined that emperors, rulers, governments do not make a nation, but a nation is made by its citizens, youth, farmers, scholars, scientists, workforce, and saints.

He said NCC cadets inspire confidence about the future of India, and instill pride about the strength of our youth.

The Prime Minister appreciated the role of National Cadets Corps (NCC) in furthering the cause of cleanliness. He also called for continuing the movement towards digital transactions.

Modi also exhorted youngsters at the rally to download the BHIM app and contribute to a cashless economy. He said the NCC cadets should educate those around them about digital payments.

Money saved on printing of notes, transportation and ATMs among others could be used for the betterment of the poor, the Prime Minister added.

74-year-old Amarinder, who is fighting his last election, will be the next Chief Minister, if the party forms government in Punjab.

Rahul, addressing the rally in the pocket-borough of Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia, said Amarinder alone can change Punjab and set it right along with the support of the people of the state and there is no other way out.

Ruling SAD and AAP have been mocking Congress, asking why the party was not declaring Amarinder as its chief ministerial candidate for the February 4 Assembly polls.

“Punjab will be run by its people. I want to tell you that Punjab’s chief minister will be from Punjab and Punjab’s chief minister is sitting here. Amarinder Singh is Punjab’s chief ministerial candidate and he will be Punjab’s chief minister,” he said, prompting leaders to congratulate Amarinder on the dais.

Rahul said Punjab will not be run by “remote control” as it does not need one, taking a veiled dig at Kejriwal and accusing him of wanting to become Delhi and Punjab chief minister at the same time.

He also made a scathing attack on the ruling Badals, accusing them of ruining Punjab and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of siding with them and talking of removing corruption.

Rahul, who began his three-day election tour to the poll-bound state by addressing his first public meeting in the presence of Amarinder and Navjot Singh Sidhu, also attacked AAP and Kejriwal of trying to befool the people of the state by making false and empty promises.

The Congress leader said this election is not to “form a government but to save Punjabiyat” and Punjab’s honour and only Congress with the help of people of the state can do it.

He also said if Congress comes to power, then the government will bring a law to deal with the drug menace in the state and put all those carrying out drugs business behind bars. .

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) The Supreme Court today said that it will hear all Jallikattu matters on January 31 after the Centre filed a plea seeking to withdraw the January 6 notification, allowing the bull taming sport in Tamil Nadu.

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra allowed all the applications related to Jallikattu to be filed and said the matter will be heard on Tuesday.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi mentioned before the bench that Centre has filed a plea seeking to withdraw the January 2016 notification.

Justice Misra said the appropriate bench which has heard and reserved the verdict will take up the matters.

The apex court has earlier said that it will be hearing the matter on January 30.